African Leadership Academy / Mastercard Foundation

The African Leadership Academy (ALA) seeks to transform Africa by developing a powerful network of young leaders who are ready to accelerate the continent’s growth. In 2019, Network Impact contributed to a Special Evaluation of Career Transitions and Network Emergence to understand whether and how ALA graduates and Mastercard scholars leverage their network connections for different purposes.

In 2024, Network Impact conducted an impact evaluation focused on how network building elements of the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at ALA contribute to broader outcomes for scholars, and the extent to which a cohort model supports scholars at key transition points into and out of university. Recommendations addressed how to use network building strategies to create a supportive ecosystem for young leaders to inform both the leadership development field, and Mastercard Foundation’s ongoing Young Africa Works strategy, which emphasizes the need to engage multiple sectors in cooperation toward the common goal of increasing youth employment opportunities and financial inclusion on the continent to help address persistent poverty.